


I Should Have Said Something Sooner

by Gizmodo



Series: Say Something [1]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, F/F, F/M, Language, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-04
Updated: 2015-02-16
Packaged: 2018-03-10 09:42:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3285659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gizmodo/pseuds/Gizmodo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Korra, an aspiring pro soccer player has finally been offered a contract and a chance to fulfill her lifelong dream of playing in the World Cup. </p><p>But there's a slight catch: for three years, she's quietly been in love with her best friend and flatmate of seven years, Asami Sato, and, recently out of a somewhat rocky relationship with Mako, Korra thinks it's time to finally tell her "gal pal" how she really feels.</p><p>Can she chase her dream AND get the girl? Or will life only allow her one of them?</p><p> </p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So... here's a little angsty piece for y'all.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra meets Bolin and Opal for lunch.

_**March 24, 2013** _

 

_**K. (17:23):** i'm… i’m going to do it, opal. i’m gonna tell her how i feel. i choose her._

_**O. (17:23):** wat!? gooo, korraaa!! ohmygosh im so excited for u!_

_**K. (17:25):** i’m… terrified. what if she doesn’t feel the same? what if i'm messing up my soccer career AND my relationship with my best friend???_

_**O. (17:26):** doesnt feel the same?! r u crazy woman?! u 2 r inseparable  & ive SEEN the way she looks at u when u’re not looking. i dont think u're messin anything up_

_**K. (17:30):**  okay, this is news to me. how does she... look at me?_

_**O. (17:30):**  she looks at u like bolin looks at me. that "u're the only thing i can focus on" kind of look. she gets all dreamy eyed & smiley. even meelo has noticed. he wouldn't shut up the other day about how u "stole his beautiful woman away"_

_**O. (17:31):** not to mention the way u 2 touch each other w/o even seeming to realize it… *sigh* its sooo sweeetttt. also bolin just squealed like a lil gurl when i told him_

_**K. (17:33):**  we do...? i mean, i know she'll hold my hand sometimes and snuggle up to me on the couch... but you and jinora do that, too. why is it suddenly not platonic for me and _ _asami?_

_**K. (17:33):** and can you please make sure he doesn’t say anything to anyone? you know how loose-lipped he can be._

_**O. (17:34):** by “anyone” u just mean mako and/or asami, rite?  & its more than that korra. off the top of my head and just this week, ive seen u 2: brush arms, touch each others shoulders/forearms, play with each others hair & hands, bump hips, full-on CUDDLE, & all kinds of other couple-y things that neither of u seem to realize u're doing. u dont even look at each other when u're doing it... u just... do it_

_**K. (17:34):** ...really? i honestly never noticed we did all... that. and no. i mean ANYONE, not just asami and mako._

_**O. (17:35):** uuuuu got it boss. and YES REALLY. god. u can be so oblivious sometimes. both of u do it, all the fuckin time. srsly, the other nite when we were all watching that movie at ur guys apartment, u 2 were cuddled so close, bo  & i thought u 2 were going to crawl into each others clothes (not in the dirty way... we think.)_

_**O. (17:35):** anywaysss, i know u have practice soon  & bo & i have a date 2nite so ill talk to u after? WE BOTH WISH U GOOD LUCK!!!_

_**K. (17:37):**  wow... did you really just go there? thx for letting me make myself look like an ass. you could have said something._

_**O. (17:37):** relax. im just giving u a hard time. ;) ttyl!  <3_

_**K. (17:39):** have a great date. jerk._

—

**_A Week Earlier_ **

 

"Korra!"

"Hey Bolin, hey Opal!" Korra waved good-naturedly at the duo picking their way through the lavish, sprawling restaurant. Several silk-covered tables still separated them from her as they wove their way through the dimly-lit, heavily decorated room, but she rose from her seat at the fancy table nonetheless and waited as they approached. When they finally reached the table, she pulled them each into a brief but crushing hug - Opal surprising her with a chaste kiss on the cheek. "It's so good to see you two! How was the honeymoon?"

They all took their seats around the table, smiling ear-to-ear at each other and enjoying each others' presence once more. It had only been a little over a month since they were last together, but it felt much longer.

"It was incredible, Korra! Opal and I had such an amazing time! I just... I just _love being married to the most wonderful girl in the world!!!_ " he blurted in a rush while patting his hand lovingly on Opal's - gold and silver wedding band flashing in the light.

The pure excitement and giddiness rolling off of him was enough to make Korra and Opal giggle, the latter blushing ever so slightly as she spoke, "It really was amazing, Korra. Thank you so much for helping us afford it."

"Of course! You two are my closest friends and without a doubt deserved to have the best honeymoon possible. Plus... I couldn't exactly think of anything else to get you as a wedding gift." Korra grinned sheepishly as the other two laughed. Bolin and Opal settled down after only a few moments and everybody picked up their menus to begin perusing for their lunch (with only a few jokes about being indecisive thrown Korra's way).

Apparently, Bolin must have been hungrier than he was letting on because he was the first to set his menu down - ready to order in less than a minute. Korra could feel the vibrations of his fingers drumming on the table as he turned his head to face her, still hidden behind her menu, and asked slowly, "Sooo... how have you been since we... left?"

Well, that was a "happy mood"-killer of a question and they all knew it.

Korra set her menu down reluctantly - avoiding looking either of them in the eye - as she spoke quietly, "I've been... better. I've had my ups and downs while you two were away. I'm sure you... heard that Mako and I had a very, very ugly break-up and that's been interesting to deal with, but..." she perked up and looked at them with a small grin, "did you hear that I was finally offered a contract on a professional soccer team? I'm not sure if I'll take it but still - I might finally get the chance to play in a World Cup!"

Opal reached across the table and grasped her hand, "We did hear about Mako; please know that that doesn't change how _we_ feel about you and you can always, always talk to us. And no, we didn't hear about the contract - congratulations!!!"

Bolin clapped her on the shoulder and smiled brightly, "Yeah, we love you, Korra, and we've always got your back! But enough about my brother - tell us about this soccer offer! Why do you think you might not take it?"

"Thanks you two." She smiled at them warmly, Opal giving her hand a squeeze before retracting it, "Well, the contract is a two year deal for me to play as a replacement striker - for the time-being - with a really, really good team that's won the World Cup before and has a chance to do it again in-"

"USA OFFERED YOU A CONTRACT!?" Bolin interrupted loudly with frantic hand waving, "That's fantastic!!! Why wouldn't you take the offer?!?! This is your dream, Korra!!!"

Korra blanched a little. Typical Bolin to jump to conclusions. She knew what she was about to say next would likely upset him, but he didn't exactly let her finish to begin with, "USA... wasn't the one to offer me the contract. Japan was."

She was right about the effect her words would have: he dropped his hands onto the table with a thunk and his face fell into a pout, "Oh... Does that mean you're... moving away? To the other side of the world...?"

"Maybe." Korra heaved a ragged sigh, "I don't know, Bo. This might be my only opportunity to make it big, but I don't want to leave here, either."

Opal bit her bottom lip and chewed on it, mulling over a question she obviously wanted to ask. Finally, she seemed to know exactly what she wanted to say because she leaned forward towards Korra and rested her forearms on the table, fingers steepled and giving her a hard look, "You've been working towards being a pro soccer player since you were four years old, why would you _not_ be willing to leave here if your dream could finally come true?"

Korra waved her hands around, gesturing to them and everything else around them nonchalantly, "I don't know. I... this place is my home. I have you guys here. I have a life here."

"Yes, but you've always said that soccer is your life, and we'd still be here when you got back. Simply staying because you don't want to leave your friends or comfort zone isn't worth... - what a minute." Opal cocked her head to the side and narrowed her eyes, drilling into Korra's being, "There's more to it than that, isn't there?" Those intense green eyes - the vibrant color of their owner's name - bore into her with enough dawning comprehension to make Korra cringe; she knew right then that Opal knew or at least suspected the truth... so it wasn't worth lying about.

She sighed and mumbled, arms crossed over her chest protectively, "Yes."

"...Asami?" Yup, Opal definitely knew.

Korra squeezed her eyes shut and pursed her lips, nodding minutely in the affirmative. She could feel Bolin's confused gaze shifting back and forth between her and Opal, "Asami? What does she have to do with Korra leav- oh. _Ohhhh_. Is that why you broke up with Mako??"

Korra opened her eyes, arms still tightly crossed over her chest, and stared intently out the window, avoiding their gaze, yet again, "That was part of it, yes. That and... well, we just didn't work well together. We always argued and we were always at each others' throats; it wasn't healthy. Plus, it was like he wasn't interested in me - nor I, him -, anymore. I guess that wasn't entirely true, though, because he threw a huge fit when I broke up with him, but... what can you do?"

Opal leaned forward, trying to draw Korra's focus back to her, "Korra... does she know?"

Korra continued to focus out the window, observing the everyday hustle and bustle of the city she called home, "No. I haven't told her and I don't know if I will. I... don't want to ruin what we have; she's my best friend and... I can't lose her."

Out of her peripherals, she saw Opal and Bolin exchange a knowing glance before he cleared his throat, "I - _we_ think you should tell her. You never know - she could feel the same way and just be too scared to say anything, too. The way you two act around each other... it's like you're a happily married couple and have been for years. That typically doesn't happen if nothing else is... _there_ , you know?"

Men, women, children - all strangers - danced in and out of her vision as her gaze remained focused out the window. Korra wondered if any of those people had ever been in a similar position; if any of them could give her advice from personal experience. She knew it was meaningless wondering since she would never actually get the chance to ask, but it was somewhat comforting to think that she wasn't the only one to ever be stuck in this kind of situation.

She returned her mind to the present and what Bolin had said. It scared her to think that maybe she had been missing signals from Asami the whole time, but it scared her even more to think that maybe she - they - were reading too much into it. It could spell the end of a seven-year friendship - no, _best_ friendship - if she said something and things went wrong.

Chewing on the inside of her cheek - and after many awkward seconds of no reply from her - she looked to the two people seated in front of her, "Possibly... but I can't just tell her how I feel and then fly off to another country for two years. It's either or. Soccer or Sato."

Opal looked at her, unblinking, "Which one is more important to you?"

Korra's voice was barely a whisper, "Asami is but she's not a guarantee, not even by a long-shot. Soccer is, though."

Neither of the other two seemed to have a response to that and an unsettling silence blanketed them after her confession.

Thankfully, the waiter wandered over to take their orders only a few short minutes later and the tension was broken. They easily fell back into normal conversation about everything from the weather to the kind of exotic foods Bolin and Opal ate during their honeymoon to the two thinking about getting a puppy.

Korra's mind was elsewhere for the rest of the meal, though, and she could tell that the others knew it. It didn't matter. She had a lot to think about; she had a lot to consider. She had to decide whether to accept the contract, or not, by the end of the month.

Which was in two weeks.

Would she give up a two-year deal to pursue her dream as a professional soccer player or give up her dream girl whom she had been madly in love with for three years?

What a mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's not much right now besides a set-up for the real story, but I hope you enjoyed this little chapter nonetheless.
> 
> Feel free to drop me a comment! I always appreciate feedback, good or bad, and love hearing from you guys. 
> 
> Also, I honestly don't know all that much about soccer (in general) and FIFA rules and regulations when it comes to scouting international players, so... just go with it? If you have knowledge about it, please let me know and I can correct it as I go!
> 
> Up Next: Korra has a life-changing conversation with Asami.


	2. Say Geronimo!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's taken a week since her conversation with Bolin and Opal for her to figure it out, but Korra has finally decided to take the leap of faith: she chooses Asami and it's time to tell her.
> 
> Geronimo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to mention it in the prologue, but the city they live in is San Francisco and the universe they're in is ours. Also, the text messages at the very beginning of the prologue are from the same day as this chapter, just a few hours earlier.
> 
> (Sorry for the delay - even when I have days off, I apparently don't get days off...)
> 
> For kicks and giggles, I wrote this as if Asami and Korra lived here: 
> 
> http://www.trulia.com/property/3091952664-461-2nd-St-C322-San-Francisco-CA-94107#photo-1

**_March 24, 2013_**

 

Korra (impassive on the outside and freaking the _fuck_  out on the inside) stood in front of the solid oak door that led into Asami's apartment - no, _their_  apartment (she'd lived there for over three and a half years but since _somebody_ wouldn't let her pay rent, she still had a hard time calling it hers) - with her key inserted into the lock. 

The "five-minutes-of-standing-outside-like-an-idiot" mark was rapidly approaching and she had yet to will herself to open the door.

Her _goddamn_ fingers wouldn't - _couldn't_ \- turn the _goddamn_ key, despite her mental commands of "turn it already!". It was as if those blasted appendages innately _knew_ what she was about to do couldn't be taken back. Ever. 

But she had to do it! She had to! She had been silent for too long; now was the time.  _'Okay, Korra. 1... 2... 3... turn!'_

She stood there, just as stiff and frozen as before, the metal lock still firmly latched. _'So much for mind over matter.'_

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, the vibrations and sound scaring the living daylights out of her and causing her to let out a small squeal. Heart racing like a stampede of wild horse and grumbling angrily under her breath, she pulled the offending item out of her pocket and swiped across her screen to open the text message:

 _ **B. (20:47):** koooorraa!!! done it yet?!! opal and i want to knowww_  

Geez. And everyone thought that _she_ was the impatient one. She had just gotten out of practice less than an hour ago - and they _knew_ that - yet, here they were, "checking in". She rolled her eyes and started typing out a response:

 _ **K. (20:47):** not yet, bo. i just got home. i promise i'll tell you both about it tomorrow. now, goodnight._  

Mindlessly slipping her phone back into her pocket, Korra shook her arms out and breathed deeply - in through the nose and out through the mouth. _'Okay, Korra. You've got this. Turn the key, go in, find Asami, tell her. Simple.'_ Steeling herself - and ignoring the fluttering of her heart and the butterflies in her stomach - she finally turned the ( _goddamn_ ) key and stepped into their sleek, modern apartment, gently closing the door behind her and clicking the deadbolt back into place.

She casually tossed her keys on top of another set resting in the bowl situated on top of the thin, marble table by the door. The jingle of metal-on-metal was the only sound in the apartment as she stepped further into the open living space, calling out, "Asami, I'm home! Where are you? I have something really important that I need to talk to you about."

Nothing.

 _'That's... weird. She should be here - her shoes, keys, and purse are...'_ Korra ventured further into the upscale apartment, kicking off her neon blue running shoes and slipping off her team's windbreaker to store in the IKEA-style closet standing vigilant around the corner of the short entrance hall.

The smooth wood floors creaked in protest beneath her feet every seventh step or so but felt warm and comforting - like home - as she meandered through the apartment's main floor, investigating the half-hidden galley kitchen and other nooks and crannies for evidence of Asami's whereabouts. Finding none, she called out again, "Hey 'Sami, you upstairs?"

Silence.

Worry - different from what she was experiencing outside the apartment - was beginning to gnaw at her insides. It was bad enough that she hadn't received a flying hug at the door, but this? An absolute lack of any kind of acknowledgement? It was _completely_ out of character for her best friend. There was zero precedent for it. None. And it was making Korra exceptionally anxious.

Lingering in the open space between the kitchen and living area, she ran her fingers through her long, messy hair - nerves causing her to repeat the motion several times - lost in thought. _'Calm down. Just because this is the first time that Asami hasn't greeted you, doesn't mean that you should go off the deep-end and jump to crazy conclusions. Today is Sunday, which means that it was a paperwork day for her - you know how exhausted she can be on Sundays. You're overreacting. Even if it is several hours before her bedtime, she's probably just passed out upstairs.'_

Korra quickly moved towards the spiral staircase that led to their sleeping loft and mounted the first step.  _'Please let her be passed out upstairs.'_  

  

On the third step, the soft hiss and patter of pressurized water falling to the ground reached her ears. _'Oh, thank god; she's taking a shower. I mean, that's still kind of weird since it violates her "only shower in the morning" rule but... whatever. It must have been a rough day. She probably just hasn't been able to hear you. Sheesh. You can be so panicky sometimes, Korra.'_

 

On the eighth step, the sound of ragged sobbing cut over the quiet cacophony of shower noises... and Korra's heart stopped. _'Oh no.'_

 

Bounding up the rest of the stairs two at a time, Korra sprinted through the loft (barely managing to stay upright when she skidded around the corner) and stumbled through the opening that led into the master bathroom. She found Asami curled up on the shower floor - fully-clothed and crying uncontrollably - as water from the rainfall shower head beat a relentless, unnerving tune on flesh, fabric, and stone.

"Asami!" Heart pounding and mind reeling, Korra heedlessly yanked open the shower door and stepped in. The water was absolutely frigid.

Ignoring her discomfort and chattering teeth, she fell to her knees and rested her hand on her best friend's shoulder, leaning her face in close to where Asami was hiding her own behind pale arms and raven hair. The shakiness and high pitch of her own voice was a disconcerting surprise to Korra, "'S-Sami, what's going on? Talk to me. Please."

The normally calm and collected CEO only wept harder, curling in on herself even more. Korra rubbed soothing circles into Asami's back and lowered the timbre of her voice in attempt to sound calmer, "Asami, are you hurt? Do I need to call an ambulance?"

Broken sobs and shivering was all the genius inventor offered her in answer.

Korra's eyes raked over the length of Asami's body, frantically searching for any sign of physical injury as she continued to rub her friend's back. There didn't appear to be any, but that was no guarantee. It wasn't until her eyes swept over her friend's paler-than-usual arms the second time that she noticed how _blue_ Asami's skin was.

All the color in Korra's face drained when she brushed tendrils of wet hair from Asami's forehead and pressed her hand to the exposed flesh: her friend was _freezing_ cold and the shivering was becoming more violent. Pure dread was starting creep in and settle on Korra; she had never, _ever_ seen Asami this distraught before. _  
_

"Let's get you out here and out of these clothes. You're frozen to the bone." Korra quickly stood up and stepped out of the shower, fumbling with the controls for several seconds before the water shut off. Stepping back into the small space and crouching down, she pulled Asami into an awkward sitting position - small sobs still wracking her lithe body - and started clumsily undressing her, peeling away the soaked and glacial-feeling layers. A messy pile of wet clothing was eventually deposited on the shower bench and it struck Korra dimly that this was the first time she had ever seen Asami completely naked. The thought probably would have made her blush furiously - or spontaneously combust - if she wasn't so sick with worry.

Finally being divest of all her frozen clothing seemed to bring Asami back to reality somewhat. She blinked blearily at Korra through her tears, only now seeming to realize who was with her.

"K-Kor-ra...?" Asami croaked through her distress and trembling.

Korra reached out and tenderly brushed the majority of dripping hair off of her tear-streaked face, "I'm here, 'Sami. I'm here."

Pale arms snaked around her neck as Asami launched herself at Korra, wrapping her in a tight hug and holding on for dear life. A fresh wave of crying shook her friend's body as Korra gathered her naked, quivering form in her arms. Hot tears stung her flesh as Asami buried her face in the crook of Korra's neck.

She ran her hands up and down Asami's back and murmured, "Hush, 'Sami... it's okay. Everything is going to be okay. I'm here now. Let's dry you off and get you to bed. Does that sound good?" Sniffling, Asami nodded into her collarbone and relaxed her grip. Korra stood up cautiously, guiding the quietly weeping woman into a standing position.

It felt like someone had replaced Korra's insides with snakes when she finally got a proper look at Asami. Her proud, stunningly beautiful, take-shit-from-no-one, genius best friend looked so fragile right then that Korra was positive if someone blew on her too hard, she'd break into a billion tiny pieces and drift away on the residual breeze.

Nothing about her friend seemed right. Her ramrod-straight back had a significant and defeated curve. Her typical "straight out of a shampoo commercial" hair was matted and messy. Her flawless porcelain skin was a deathly bluish white and blotchy. And her eyes - those fierce, dazzling jade eyes that made Korra's heart beat faster - were merely a dull, lifeless puke color... watery, ringed with red, and extremely puffy.

It was unsettling enough to make Korra queasy and light-headed; there were only a handful of things that Korra could think of that would leave Asami like this, and each possibility was more heartbreaking than the last.

Without looking away, Korra stepped out of the shower - carefully guiding the CEO out - and snatched up the nearest towel. She made short work of drying her off and wrapped her in one of the many heavy robes hanging by the shower. Carefully propping Asami against the bathroom wall, she undressed herself in record time, relieved to finally be out of the icy confines of her soaked clothing. Modesty wasn't the priority at the moment, though, so she forewent a robe for herself and immediately gathered Asami into her arms again.

Unsure (and unwilling to test) if her friend had the strength to walk to the bed, Korra swept Asami up and carried her bridal-style to the bed, easing her onto the pillows and dragging the sheets over her.

Once she was tucked in and warming up, it appeared that Asami was finally allowing herself to calm down. Kneeling beside the bed, Korra cupped Asami's cheek and tenderly wiped away the few tears still escaping with her thumb, "Are you ready to tell me what's wrong, yet?"

A hiccup and a slow shake of the head told her that, no, she wasn't ready.

"Do you want me to stay or do you want me to leave?"

Asami's cold, pale hand gripped the darker one pressed to her cheek and she rasped, "Stay. Please." Korra nodded and stood up to circle around to her side of the bed, slipping in under the silky sheets.

Like almost every night for the past three and a half or so years, she lay shoulder-to-shoulder with her best friend. In their plush, queen-sized bed, they found solace in the warmth and closeness of the other. It didn't take long for Asami's slowly warming fingers to find hers and weave them together as they lay there silently.

Korra rubbed her thumb up and down Asami's index finger while she pondered what possibly could have happened to upset Asami like this. She figured the most likely options were: her imprisoned father and only living family member, Hiroshi, was dead or dying, or Asami lost or was going to lose Future Industries - why or how were beyond Korra, but those were the only things she could imagine Asami being this distressed about.

Regardless, she knew not to push too hard. Asami would tell her in her own time. Until then, Korra let her mind wander back to her lunch with Bolin and Opal. She belatedly realized that them sleeping in the same bed like this was probably (definitely) on Opal's list of "un-platonic" and odd things that they did.

God forbid someone - especially Bolin or Opal - saw them right now; they'd have a heart attack and most likely jump to all the wrong conclusions.

 _'It would be priceless to see their faces, though.'_ She chuckled a little at the thought then sighed. It _was_ really odd that she and Asami slept together like this, but... no one besides them knew  _why_ they did it. Maybe if they did, it wouldn't seem so odd?

Korra imagined explaining the night that actually led to the current sleeping arrangement to her friends and a chill ran down her spine, causing her to shiver. The memory of it still haunted her, even when she assured herself and others that she was fine now.

Asami must have noticed her brief chill because, without a word, she released Korra's hand and draped herself over Korra's body, snuggling close. Smiling slightly, Korra wrapped her arms around her friend's waist - the soft fabric of the heavy robe a welcome barrier between their bodies - as she mentally relived the events that led to her sleeping in Asami's bed.

//

A little over three and a half years ago, she and Asami had graduated college and decided to move out of the place they shared and each rent their own apartments (the one they lived in now being the one that Asami had chosen). Not long after they had settled into their new homes and lives, though, she was in a horrific accident that put her in the hospital for weeks, had her bed-bound for months, and required constant physical therapy for over a year to simply walk and run again.

 

It had been almost ten PM on a warm July night when it happened.

She had been biking home after a late-night, impromptu soccer game and was coasting down one of the many hilly roads of San Francisco when a drunk driver in a brand-new, all-black Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG (she would never, _ever_ forget that car - it was the same exact model that Asami had been thinking about buying) darted out of a side street and hit her. The collision resulted in a compound fracture of her femur, a broken rib that had punctured and collapsed her lung, several pelvic fractures, a dislocated shoulder, and a moderate concussion (thankfully lessened by the helmet she was wearing).

The driver hadn't even stopped - just drove off as if nothing had happened - and left her there.

The pain had been excruciating and the amount of blood that had started to pool around her leg was terrifying.

She vaguely remembered that there had been a commotion on the sidewalk where she landed. According to her friends and family, a few bystanders had seen what happened and rushed to her. They were the ones who called 911.

She did, however,  _vividly_ remember how every breath had hurt. _Burned_. How she couldn't get enough oxygen and her head swam. The motion of her vision had made her want to puke but the movement to do so had made her want to die.

The last thing she had seen before her vision faded to black and her heart stopped was the ambulance screeching to a halt a few feet away from her mangled body. 

Next thing she knew, she was in ICU, two days later. 

She was alive, which meant she had miraculously survived her injuries. 

It also meant she would have to survive her recovery.

 

The very beginning of the healing process had been, without a doubt, the hardest part for her, but Asami - wonderful, beautiful, glorious Asami - had eased the burden of recovery (physically and mentally) exponentially by volunteering to be her caretaker when she had been discharged from the hospital.

She had moved back in with Asami (who constantly joked about how they only lasted three months away from each other) and lived in the living room of the luxurious apartment on the futon that her best friend specially designed for her injuries.

With each passing day, she healed a little more - _physically_ \- but it didn't take long for the real damage - _mentally_ \- to show up.

It had been about a month after leaving the hospital - around the time the doctors had lessened the dosage of her pain killers - when she had started having re-occurring nightmares so horrible, she'd wake up screaming, body on fire, and drenched in a cold sweat. They were never the same nightmare but they always ended up with her suffering her injuries and dying again.

It got to the point where she couldn't sleep. She couldn't eat. She hardly talked. She couldn't escape the pain in - and the relative immobility of - her lower body regardless if she was conscious or not. She didn't understand why this had happened to her. She just wanted it to end. 

Asami had been completely understanding, though.

No matter the hour, when she awoke screaming, Asami had come rushing down the stairs to try and ease her back to sleep. More often than not, the CEO had sat on the edge of the futon, murmuring reassuring words and stroking her hair, until her body's weariness dragged her back into unconsciousness. And it had been on one of these nights - about two weeks after the nightmares started and after a particularly bad one -, that, instead of soothing touches and soft words, Asami had slipped into bed with her and gingerly cuddled up to her.

She had fallen back to sleep in Asami's brace and didn't have a single nightmare the rest of that night.

After that little discovery, Asami's bed had sat unused for almost three months.

Every night from that point on, Asami had slipped into bed with her and held her close, and every night Asami had been wrapped around her, her sleep had been dreamless and painless.

And when she had become more-or-less mobile again, they had started sleeping together in Asami's bed upstairs. The nightmares had ceased outright.

 

Her doctors had told her throughout the entire ordeal that she was recovering well beyond their expectations - that her body was healing faster than they thought possible - but they had warned her, over and over again, that things would be different. That she might never fully recover. That she may never play soccer again.

It had been the single most difficult time in her life.

She proved them wrong, though. She fully recovered.

All because she had a friend who gave her the strength to make it through the day by holding her at night.

A friend that she had fallen, helplessly and hopelessly, in lo-...

//

The feeling of a nose brushing against her cheek snapped Korra back to the present.

"Stop thinking about it."

Korra sighed heavily with her eyes pinched closed, "You don't even know what I'm thinking about."

Movement and a sudden lack of warmth pressed to her side caused Korra to open her eyes and focus on her friend, noticing - with no small amount of satisfaction - that the amount of Asami's skin that she could see was almost back to the correct shade of alabaster and the blotchiness had receded. _'Good.'_ There was even a little spark of life in the bloodshot, jade eyes that were now looking down at her - Asami had turned onto her stomach and propped herself up by her elbows, hovering over Korra's chest and staring at her intently, "Don't play that game with me, Kor. I've known you _way_ too long for you to honestly think that I don't know how to read you by now. You keep flexing the toes on your right foot and tracing your fingers over your right ribcage - you're thinking about your accident."

Had she really been that obvious?

No. That _couldn't_ have been "that obvious" - those were such tiny things to notice; Asami would've had to have been paying really close, constant attention to even _register_ that the motions were habitual ticks and not idle movements...

And that, right there - the idea that the woman next to her paid _that_ much attention to her body's movements -, had Korra flushing slightly, disquieted by what else her friend may have noticed.

She tried to disguise her unease and ignore the warmth tinting her cheeks by rolling her eyes and scoffing, "Fine, you caught me.I was thinking about my accident and now I'm not." She wrinkled her nose and chuckled, "You know, you should really become a detective or something. You could give good ol' Mako a run for his money."

"That's what I like to hear. And as flattering as it is that you think I would be a better detective than our esteemed ex - whom we promised not to talk about for at least another month -, I think I'll stick to being a CEO." Asami stroked Korra's cheek for a few seconds before speaking quietly, "Thank you for taking care of me."

Korra smiled faintly, "I will always take care of you, Asami Sato - _always_. That's what best friends are for." The words 'best friends' (in this instance) left a bittersweet taste in her mouth, but she moved past it and nudged Asami's arm with her own, "Now, do you think you're ready to tell me what that all was about?"

Asami dipped her head - her still damp hair falling in a curtain around her face - and murmured, "Not yet. I really... don't want to think about it. I'm afraid that if I say it outloud to you, that it'll make everything undeniably true and... I'm not ready for that. I promise I will tell you soon, though. For now, can I please just bask in the comfort of your friendship?"

Korra nodded solemnly and placed a hand on Asami's shoulder, "Of course. Take your time." She dragged part of Asami's heavy hair over her shoulder and out of her face, gently lifting her chin by her finger tips with a small smirk playing at her cognac lips, "But just so you know, I think you've been spending _way_ too much time with Bolin; 'bask in the comfort of your friendship?'. Really?"

"Really." 

Both girls burst out laughing and Asami moved closer, slipping one arm under Korra's back and the other over her waist while she rested her head in the crook of Korra's shoulder. Contentment settled over Korra as she carded her fingers languidly through raven hair, twisting the strands in her fingers and brushing the tips against the pale skin of Asami's neck, half-hidden beneath its ebony mass. It was soothing, for both of them, and it wasn't an unusual position for them to find themselves in when one or the other needed comfort, but it was only now really sinking in to Korra how... incredibly intimate it was - _especially_ when she was naked and Asami was only clad in a robe.

The longer they lay there, the more guilt began to nudge at Korra; she knew that she should move away. She was relishing the feel of Asami against her too much and it made her feel like she was taking advantage of her friend's vulnerability. She started to pull away but the arms encircling her mid-section tightened, keeping her in place. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as Asami's lips casually danced across the skin on her shoulder, "Don't. Please." Asami rubbed her cheek into Korra's shoulder, "Tell me about your lunch with Bolin and Opal the other day - I forgot to ask."

 _'Oh geez. She's presented me with the_ perfect _opening at the_ worst _possible opportunity. Ugh.'_ Korra stilled her hand, resting it on Asami's shoulder, "I was really glad to see them, again. They were so happy together - it was infectious. We had a really awesome time and the food was fantastic; thanks for recommending that restaurant."

"Of course. I had a great meal there with some clients awhile back and thought you guys would, too. What did you talk about?"

Asami's warm breath on her shoulder was distracting Korra to no end, but she had to focus - she had to keep this conversation going so they could move on, "Oh, this and that: married life, puppies, kids, soccer, you." Korra tensed - that last word wasn't supposed to leave the "don't say this outloud" part of her brain but somehow casually slipped out anyway. She quickly hurried on, "You know. The usual things. It was all over the place."

Asami lifted her head and gave her a funny look, "Me? Why were you guys talking about me?"

Korra waved her hand around vaguely, "Oh, you know. They asked how you and the company were doing, stuff like that."

"Oh, okay." Asami cocked her head to the side with her eyebrow raised, "That wasn't all of it, though, was it?"

Korra's eyes widened, caught. _'Fucking. Goddamn. Do Opal and Asami have some kind of sixth sense or something?!'_ She hastily cleared her throat, "Well, that wasn't all of it, of course. Merely the gist of it. I wouldn't want to bore you with the nitty-gritty details."

"'Bore me with the nitty-gritty details'? Since when have you ever skimped on details when I've asked?" Disbelief and curiosity colored Asami's voice, "Korra... what's going on?"

Flustered, Korra pulled out of Asami's embrace and sat upright, momentarily forgetting her stark nudity.

The way Asami's gaze moved and... _focused_ made her suddenly remember that awkward fact, though. Bright, dilated jade eyes were staring at her breasts... ' _hungrily? No, that can't be right.'_ as she pulled the bedsheets up to her chest, posthaste, and stammered, "N-nothing! There's nothing going on."

That dazzling green gaze narrowed and shifted up to Korra's face as Asami sat up, sarcasm thinly veiled, "Right. Because you always tense, stare at me like a deer in the headlights, and pull away from me because 'nothing is going on'. So, I'll ask again; Korra, what's going on?"

Korra couldn't look away; Asami was giving her the famous "I'm the CEO and you better answer my question" look. She gulped - physically, comically _gulped_ \- and muttered, "Asami, I don't think now is the best time for us to talk about what was said at lunch. You've... had a rough day and I don't want to add to your troubles."

Asami's gaze softened, "Korra, whatever happened at lunch, you can tell me. Especially if it concerns me. Did I do something wrong?"

"No! No, you didn't do anything wrong - not at all. I just..." Korra shook her head fiercely and pulled her knees up to her chest, hiding her face behind her arms and the sheets as tears threatened to make an appearance.

A soft sigh and an even softer hand touched her elbow, "Kor, whatever it is, please just tell me. It's obviously upsetting you."

 _'Now or never, Korra. Now or never. She wants to know, so tell her.'_ She sniffled and peeked over the dark skin of her crossed arms, rushing through her words, "A-Asami... I'm... I'm in love with you. I have been for three years. I've had a crush on you since I met you, and I think I started falling for you before my accident; that's why I wanted to move out - I was terrified of you figuring it out and our friendship being ruined. Then my accident happened and I was living with you again. It was easy - so, so easy - to be around you. Since the night you slipped into bed with me and held me after that nightmare, I _knew_ that I was in love with you - unequivocally and irrevocably." Korra took a deep breath and pressed on without waiting for Asami to say anything, "Bolin and Opal figured it out when I told them I wasn't sure if I wanted to take an offer to play for Japan - that's what we talked about at lunch. I was afraid to tell you because I didn't know how you felt about me. I still don't. But I feel like you've been dropping hints for forever, and I just... I just want it to be true so badly. And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for dumping this on you, but I had to tell you. I have to know for sure." Somehow, during her small tirade, Korra had ended up standing beside the bed with her hands knotted in her hair, tears falling silently down her cheeks.

"Korra..."

She shook her head and crossed her arms protectively over her chest, turning away from the bed and pacing to prolong Asami's rejection of her. It was stupid, what she just did. She knew it before she did it, and she definitely knows it now. The icy grip of fear wrapped its greedy fingers around her heart and squeezed, causing the tears to roll down faster. _'I've just ruined everything.'_

"Korra Tayen Moana, look at me."

Shock and trepidation (an ingrained response to being called by her full name) had Korra halting in her tracks. She turned her head just enough to look at Asami from her peripherals - her vision blurry from the tears - while she chewed on her bottom lip. Her heart thundered in her chest as she watched Asami crawl to the edge of the bed and kneel there, reaching out to her and loosely wrapping her pale fingers around Korra's forearm.

Asami tugged, trying to loosen the death grip she had around her upper body, "Korra, really look at me, please."

Reluctantly, Korra turned to face her best friend, but focused over Asami's shoulder and out the large windows as she mentally tried to coax herself into calming down. _'She hasn't freaked out and she hasn't rejected you. There's still a chance.'_

Asami managed to loosen her grip and pull her arm free, intertwining their fingers. Soft lips pressed to her wrist and Korra's focus shot down to the woman in front of her.

"Asami-"

"Shh, Korra. I know and it's okay. I've... suspected this for awhile."

Korra's mouth worked up and down, soundlessly, for several seconds until she managed to find her voice (though, she wasn't entirely convinced it was hers because it was very high-pitched and shaky), "B-but... how?"

Asami gave her a small smile, "Remember what I said earlier? I've known you _way_ too long to not know how to read you by now." Sadness warped her small smile as Asami's voice dropped in volume, "I'm in love with you, too, Korra. I have been for years, but-" A muffled grunt of surprise escaped Asami as whatever she wanted to say was cut off by Korra lunging forward and capturing her lips in a hard kiss.

Asami didn't reciprocate the kiss, though, and horror washed over Korra. She had really, really messed up this time.

Already making mental plans to flee the apartment, Korra broke the kiss. She successfully took a half-step backwards in retreat before hands were in her hair, pulling her forward again and back into a searing kiss. She melted into it, wrapping her arms around Asami's waist and pressing flush against her. Their lips moved effortlessly together and Korra's scalp tingled with electricity wherever Asami's nails scraped.

The kiss turned sloppy - urgent, even - and it tasted of salt and mint and Jasmine tea and Korra loved everything about it. 

When Asami's tongue slipped into her mouth, sliding across her own, an involuntary moan escaped her. Korra pressed against Asami, forcing the pale beauty to lie down on her back as she climbed onto the bed and straddled her hips, all without breaking the kiss. Pale hands travelled down her neck and curled into her shoulders while her lips worked their way down Asami's throat. Finding her pulse point, Korra bit down and sucked hard enough to ensure a mark, eliciting a soft whimper from her friend. She continued to move her mouth around Asami's neck and jaw as she fumbled at the strap securing the heavy robe separating them. With one final, frustrated tug, the robe fell open.

Korra ran her hand down the middle line of Asami's tone stomach before pressing down lightly and curling her fingers into the smooth flesh of her lower abdomen.

Asami gasped and shoved against Korra's shoulders, "No! Korra, stop. Please. I... I c-can't do this."

Sitting up straight, Korra looked down at Asami wide-eyed and confused, "What do you mean? Why can't you do this?"

Asami bit her bottom lip, shame and sadness marring her pretty features, "I'm so sorry, Korra. I'm... seeing someone."

It shouldn't have been physically possible, but Korra's eyes widened even more, "What...? Who are you seeing? How long has this been going on? Why didn't I know about it?"

"It's a guy from work... we've been dating for almost six months. I... I didn't want to tell you because you were having so many problems with Mako; I didn't want to burden you with my own relationship drama."

Korra slid off of Asami and sat on the edge of the bed, floundering in shock, "That's... I... why? Why, Asami? If you knew how you felt about me and suspected how I felt about you, why didn't you say something?"

Asami sat up and drew her knees into her chest, mirroring Korra's earlier pose, "When you got better after your accident... I thought you were going to say something to me, but you never did. I didn't want to push you or rush you or overwhelm you with my feelings, though, so I waited. And waited. Then suddenly, you were dating Mako and I just... I was lonely and afraid of waiting for something that didn't appear like it would ever happen. Duke was sweet and charming and kept asking and asking, so finally, I said yes."

"...Are you in love with him?"

Asami sighed and rested her forehead on her knees, "It's... complicated."

"That's not an answer."

"I love him as a friend, but no... I'm not _in_ love with him."

Korra got up from the bed and kneeled down in front of Asami, "Then leave him; be with me."

"I can't do that, Korra." Asami looked up from her knees, eyes slightly misted.

Korra's guts twisted, "Why not?"

"I told you, it's complicated."

Anger reared its ugly head inside of Korra and her voice rose in volume, "It's not complicated at all! How do you expect to be happy with someone you don't love, Asami?"

Anger flashed in Asami's green eyes, "Life isn't always about happiness, Korra; it's about responsibility, too."

"I don't understand... what could you possibly feel so responsible for?"

"Just stop. Please just stop asking questions."

Korra leaned forward and grabbed Asami's upper arms gently, "No. I won't stop. Help me understand; I love you and you love me. Why isn't that enough?"

Asami tensed under her grip, "Stop Korra."

"Asami. Please. Tell me why you won't leave him."

"Just drop it."

" 'Sami..."

"I said drop it!"

"Asam-"

 

"I'M PREGNANT, OKAY!?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
> 
> I really went back and forth about whether I wanted to give Korra a full name or not... and I decided I did because, let's face it: when someone says your full name, you know they mean business. So, Tayen is a Native-American name that means "new moon" and Moana is a Hawaiian name that means "ocean".
> 
> I'm sorry if that section about her accident seemed a little awkward - I wasn't entirely sure how I wanted to word that part to make it evident that the reader was taking a trip through Korra's thoughts/past, but I knew I didn't want it to be a conversation, internal or not... so, yeah. That's what happened there - ha.
> 
> As always, feel free to drop me a comment! I love hearing from you all.
> 
> Also, I apologize in advance for the spontaneity with which I'll be updating this. I get so into a story and partway through, another story grabs me. (Seriously, it's bad. I've currently got 6 other Korrasami stories in the works - I'm having a hard time focusing on any one of them in particular!) I promise I'll keep working on this, though, so hang in there!


	3. Mmm, Whatcha Say?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra deals with the aftermath of Asami's revelation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely readers! I'm so happy about the feedback I've been receiving for this piece. Thank you!!
> 
> This chapter is SUPER short compared to the other one, but I didn't want you guys to wait too long on that cliffhanger. The next chapter will take me a few days to get up, though, so don't get too excited!
> 
> On a side note, I'm considering doing something similar to gillywulf's "No Matter the Universe" (if you haven't read it, GET YOUR ASS OVER THERE NOW AND DO SO. I absolutely ADORE all the drabbles/one-shots that gilly has done - they're so mind-blowingly fantastic.). Would any of you be interested in sending me prompts on Tumblr? I can't guarantee how quickly I could do them and such, but I'm willing to try. I really need to work on being more concise with my stories and that's probably one of the best writing tools I can think of. Drop me a comment if you're interested!
> 
> Mmm, whatcha say?

**_March 24, 2013_ **

 

It was like being in the accident all over again. Everything in the world slowed down. Images of all the happy times in her life flashed before her eyes; all the happy times with Asami.

**Asami.**

_'What the hell is happening? Please let this be a sick joke.'_

It wasn't, though. She could tell by the way her best friend was staring at her, eyes wide - fearful - and full of unshed tears. Those pure jade eyes were pleading with her. They were silently begging her to deny it.

But she couldn't.

_'Asami is pregnant.'_

She couldn't breathe.  

' _Mmm, whatcha say?'_

She wanted to puke.

_'Mm, that you only meant well, well of course you did.'_

She wanted to scream and cry.

_'Mmm, whatcha say?'_

She wanted to punch something.

_'That it's all for the best? Of course it is.'_

 

She should have seen this coming.

The cravings, the mood swings, the inexplicable throwing up, the way Asami's lower stomach seemed to stick out more than usual... Korra had just assumed it was stress from work; lack of nutrients, mounds of paperwork, illness, maybe even some harmless bloating. She never, ever thought it could be  _a baby_. The signs were there, nevertheless, and she had missed them.

Korra dropped her hands from Asami's arms and let them hang loose by her sides while she sat back on her heels. Her gaze had settled on Asami's midriff (or where it would be if Asami's knees weren't still drawn up) but she wasn't looking there, not really. Her eyes were seeing things a thousand leagues in the distance while her mind valiantly attempted to wrap itself around the situation she now found herself in.

"Please say something, Korra." Asami's voice was weak. Frightened. Heartbreaking.

Korra could barely blink, let alone think of a coherent thing to say to her best friend. No reassuring words. No promises. No solutions. Her mind was numb and she was in shock.

After several silent seconds, a question finally managed to bubble from her lips and out into the air, "How far along are you?"

Asami seemed to shrink before her, her voice fading even more, "Six weeks. I received official confirmation from my OBGYN this evening before you got home."

Korra nodded silently. The information was reaching her ears but it was refusing to sink in. "And who knows?"

Asami rested her forehead on her knees again and mumbled, "You, me, Duke, and my doctor."

Duke. That _sonofabitch_.

Korra seethed internally while she thought about this mystery boyfriend of Asami's.

It may take two to tango, but Asami was always so careful about sex that there was no way she would have gotten pregnant... _'unless... someone else wanted it; an inconspicuous hole in the condom would be all it'd take.'_ Her friend wouldn't even think to use an emergency contraceptive if they had used protection (which they undoubtedly _did_ ). Sure, accidents happen; it could have easily been a faulty condom, but that really didn't seem likely - not when one of the richest people in the world was involved. And according to Asami, Duke had been incredibly persistent in asking her out; he had everything to gain from knocking up the youngest and one of the most powerful CEOs in the world. 

Rage boiled Korra's blood and she began to see red the more she thought about it. She didn't want to burden Asami with her suspicions - fearing that it would cause her to stress even more - but she had to do something.

There was only one solution she could think of.

It was rash and impulsive but not entirely unwanted - not even remotely. Korra would be lying to herself and the world if she said that this wasn't something she had already thought about - fantasized about - even before knowing Asami's feelings.

 

"Asami. Marry me."

Asami jerked her head up like she'd been shot and her jaw dropped open, "Excuse me?"

Korra took a deep breath - attempting to reign in her rampaging emotions - and reached out, carefully taking one of Asami's hands in her own, staring intently into her breathtaking eyes, "Asami Hikari Sato, I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you... taking care of you. I know it's all backwards - most people date, get married, then have kids - but that doesn't matter to me. _You_ matter to me; you're _all_ that's ever mattered to me in the long run. We've lived together for seven years. We're best friends. We're compatible and this - us - it's the real deal. I won't stand by and let someone you aren't in love with take you away from me. So please, Asami. Marry me."

"Oh, Korra." The unshed tears that had gathered at the corners of Asami's eyes earlier were falling freely and heavily, "Duke already asked and I said yes."

Ice replaced her blood as Korra's heart jumped around in her chest. _'No. This isn't_ happening! _No, no, no!'_ Korra's voice cracked, "Asami, you can't seriously consider... please don't marry him."

Korra's heart clutched in her chest when Asami squeezed her hand and cried harder. Ugly sobs wracked her fragile frame as she whimpered, "I'm sorry, Korra." over and over.

Standing up, Korra released Asami's hand and crawled onto the bed to gather her friend into a tight embrace as Asami collapsed into pure hysteria. Her own tears and ugly sobs melded with Asami's as they lay on the bed together, clutching to each other in desperation. It wasn't long until Asami cried herself into an exhausted slumber.

The world felt like it was spinning too fast, like if Korra let go, she would spin off into space. She clutched more firmly at the sleeping woman that held her heart and cried harder while the unassailable tendrils of sleep twisted around her and tried to drag her under, too. She fought to stay conscious for as long as possible, savoring every last minute she had with Asami because there was no going back after this.

Her last thought before slipping into unconsciousness was of those cherry red lips parted in a smile that reached those extraordinary green eyes. _'I should have said something sooner...'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hikari is a Japanese name and means "light". 
> 
> Please don't hate me. I know I left you with another cliffhanger, I just hope it isn't as distracting/upsetting as the other one?
> 
> As always, drop me a comment!


	4. This Ain't Goodbye.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra makes a decision about her life.
> 
> This ain't goodbye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I'm going to throw a disclaimer out there: this chapter is sad, too. (Pleaseee don't hate me).
> 
> BUT, that being said, it should be the last... "heartbreaking" chapter.
> 
> Also, - to keep the ball rolling on this story - I've decided to do shorter chapters (I'll try and update once every day or two - not every week or two), which is why the less-sad content that was originally intended for this chapter will be in the next one.
> 
> HANG IN GUYS, WE'RE ALMOST THERE.

**_March 25, 2014_ **

 

Korra awoke, spooning a still sleeping Asami, several hours later. Light was shining brightly through their two large windows, but Korra's world was dark. Maybe flying off into space wouldn't be so bad if it meant she didn't have to deal with all the emotions battering each other around inside of her, fighting for dominance.

According to the clock on the table, it was a little past 9 am, which meant she probably slept for about nine hours. _'Sure doesn't feel like it.'_ Her body was utterly drained and her mind was scrambled worse than the eggs Asami tried to cook her all those years ago (Korra quickly became the cook in the household after that incident).

Carefully extracting herself from around her friend, Korra slid off the bed and stretched. The chill of the air around her served as a sharp reminder that she still had yet to put on clothes. Shivering, she quietly padded to the closet/drawer combo and pulled out a pair of boy shorts, a sports bra, sweatpants, and a t-shirt. After pulling on her clothing, she ran her fingers over the sleek planes of wood that housed their clothes, contemplating the very unexpected and unpleasant turn her life had taken and what to do next.

A soft snore and muffled whimper had her turning back to the bed; Asami had curled up into a ball on top of the sheets and was shivering slightly. Korra quietly returned to the bed and flipped down the sheets before gathering Asami in her arms to move her.

"Korra?" Asami mumbled sleepily, her eyes still firmly closed.

Korra laid her friend down on the bed in the proper direction, "Yeah, 'Sami?"

Asami's continued mumbling became a little bit slurred, "You're so... beautiful..."

Korra's breath hitched and tears threatened to spring to her eyes for the nth time in less than twelve hours. _'No. I refuse to cry.'_ She leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her friend's forehead and whispered, "Not as beautiful as you."

"Mmm..." and just like that, Asami was asleep again. She pulled the covers up to Asami's chin and tucked her in, brushing the hair out of her face.  _'There will never been anyone more beautiful than you.'_

When Korra finally straightened, her armor was on and her mind was made up.

She walked over to the closet combo once more and pulled out her duffle bag, quietly piling all of her clothing into it (she didn't own much). Ghosting to the bathroom, she collected all of her minimal toiletries into the bag and moved down to the living room, where she gathered her final belongings from the IKEA closet and the rest of the apartment.

Zipping the bag closed, she set it down next to the front door and sighed. Everything she owned was in that bag. It amazed her that this apartment felt so much like home when she owned so little in it. _'It's because home is wherever Asami is.'_

Korra silently wandered back up to the loft and pulled a piece of paper from the desk by the stairs. Perching on the edge of the chair, she began to write:

 

_Asami,_

No. That wasn't right.

 

_~~Asami,~~ My dearest Asami,_

 

_There aren't enough words in the world to describe how much I love you and how much I hate myself for writing this letter to you. I know this will hurt you and, for that, I am truly sorry. I know it's cowardly and selfish, but I also know my resolve would crumble if I had to look you in the eyes and do this._

_There was no way that I could have known our lives would come to this; if I had, I would've told you how I felt that night, three years ago. I would have told you right then and there, when your hands skimmed over my sides and twisted into my shirt, grounding me and protecting me from my demons, how much I loved you._ _But I didn't and now we're here. You'_ _re on your path and it's time for me to walk mine. It breaks my heart that we won't be walking our paths together. ~~  
~~_

_I didn't tell you this earlier because I wasn't sure if I would even consider it, but Japan offered me a contract to play for them for two years. I have until the end of the month to accept and I've decided that that's exactly what I'm going to do: accept. I finally get a chance to play soccer on the world stage, but it's bittersweet. It means I will have to do the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life: I have to leave you behind._

_Which brings me to the truly cowardly and selfish part. I don't think we should see each other again before I leave; I don't think I could handle it. Please don't think that this means I never want to see you again - that's absolutely not the case - I just need time to accept where we stand. I will always be here for you, though. Always. Nothing will change that, so if you need me, please don't hesitate to contact me._

_My proposal still stands, should you change your mind._

_You're going to be an amazing mother._

_I love you._

_,Forever yours_

_Korra_

 

Korra sat there, staring at her letter. (She'd promised herself that she wouldn't cry anymore, but the small water stains smudging the ink told her that the promise was in vain.) It had most of what she wanted to say in it, but it didn't feel right. It felt like it was... too much; like her words would make Asami feel guilty and she didn't want that. If their relationship changed, it had to be because Asami _wanted_ it to, not because she felt it _had_ to. Huffing in frustration, she tore the letter into a few shreds and dropped it in the trash can. She wiped the tears from her face and pulled out another piece of paper to start her letter again:

 

_My dearest Asami,_

 

_I have no doubt that you're going to be an amazing mother. Just don't let it overwhelm you and know that there are others out there willing to help._

_Japan offered me a two-year contract to play for them and I'm going to take it. I'm not sure when I'm to move, exactly, but it'll be very soon._ _  
_

_I will always, always be there for you if you need me, but I think that we shouldn't see each other before I leave. Please don't think that this means I never want to see you again - that's absolutely not the case - I just need time to accept where we stand._

 

, _Forever yours_

_Korra_

 

It sat a little bit better in her gut, but no matter how many letters Korra wrote, it wouldn't matter; there was no way she would truly be able to express what she wanted to say. So, this letter had to be it.

Carefully folding it into thirds and writing "Asami" in shaky letters across the front, she stood up from the chair and placed it on her friend's nightstand.

She stood momentarily by the bed, gazing at the woman she loved. Love and pain pulled her equally in opposing directions until she thought she would fall apart as she memorized Asami in that moment. Their moment.

_'It's time to go. You need to leave before she wakes up.'_ With one final kiss to Asami's head and a murmured "I love you.", Korra turned her back on the bed and descended the staircase, grabbed her bag from the floor, and stepped out the solid oak door of her home.


	5. I'm Moving Ahead.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra meets someone she wasn't expecting.
> 
> I'm not going back, I'm moving ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still a sad chapter, but not as sad... I think?

**_March 25, 2013_ **

 

On the other side of the door, Korra grudgingly inhaled a breath of fresh spring air as it drifted in from the open windows of the hallway. It smelled of fog and ocean salt and car exhaust and carpet cleaner and it cleared the smell of the apartment from her nose.

And she hated it. Every second of it.

It cleansed her nostrils of Asami's scent; eucalyptus and tea tree from her shampoo, mango from her body wash, citrus from her lotion... all gone.

_'Stop it.'_ Korra shook her head and locked the door.

Someone cleared their throat behind her and she almost jumped out of her skin; she hadn't even heard anyone walk up to her.

"Excuse me, is Ms. Sato here?" The voice was deep and smooth. Very masculine.

Korra scowled and turned around to face the stranger, leaning back against the door and crossing her arms while she took in his appearance. He was an incredibly handsome man - she'd give him that -, dressed in designer jeans rolled at the cuffs, expensive leather Oxfords, and a flattering shawl-collared sweater. Tall, rugged, and built with a jaw that could cut diamonds; thick brown-almost-black hair that was short on the sides and longer on the top, slicked into a chic, business style and traces of a well-groomed "5 o'clock" shadow. His features looked like he had some kind of mix of Polynesian, Native American Eskimo, and European; his skin was slightly darker than her own and his blue eyes had more of a green cast to them than hers, but they were striking nonetheless.

Her skin crawled the longer she looked; she had a hunch who this was. "Perhaps. Depends on whose asking."

The man stuck out his hand and smiled, "Oh, uh. My name is Duke, I'm Ms. Sato's boyfr- I mean, fiancé."

Korra chuckled darkly. Of _course_ this was Duke; leave it to Asami to get knocked up by someone who looked eerily like the male model version of her. He raised an eyebrow at her and began to lower his hand tentatively, obviously confused by her reaction. Sighing, she reached forward and took his hand, squeezing it and smiling tightly, "I'm Korra, _Ms. Sato's_ flatmate and best friend." 

His shoulders relaxed and he shook her hand genially, "The aspiring soccer player, right?"

Korra grimaced, "Pro soccer player, actually. I was offered a contract and I'm accepting it." She released his hand and crossed her arms again, "I don't mean to be rude, but what do you want Duke?"

"Oh. Straight to the point kind of person, huh? Well, I just came by to talk to Asami about... wedding stuff. She hasn't been answering my texts or phone calls, so I figured I'd stop by in person."

_'Wedding stuff?! That shit is the last thing she needs to worry about right now! Ugh!'_ Barely keeping her seething rage in check, she answered him shortly, "Mmm, right. Well, she had a very rough night last night and is still fast asleep. Come back later."

Korra moved to step around him with her bag slung over her shoulder but he stepped in her way with his hands up in a placating gesture, "Whoa, whoa. Hold on. I really need to talk to her. Can you please just let me in?"

_'Oh, fuck no.'_ Korra slid her hand seductively up his chest and twisted it into the fabric near his collar. She pulled him down like she was going to kiss him (but stopped short of doing so) and smiled menacingly, "Listen here _Dick_ \- it's Dick, right? - Asami had a terrible fucking night last night and deserves every moment of rest she can get. Her life just got turned on its head because you forgot rule number one of sex, protected or not: Pull. Out." She leaned in even closer, her lips less than an inch from his (his eyes were the size of saucers by this point), "So, you better be fucking ready to dedicate the rest of your life to that woman in there. She's the most amazing person in the world and deserves nothing less than one-hundred-and-ten percent commitment. And if you fuck up, I'll be right there to pick up the pieces of the woman I love. Now, if you don't think you can love and cherish her - and the baby growing inside her - unconditionally for the rest of your miserable life, get the hell away from here and never come back." She pulled him closer and shifted her lips to his ear, whispering, "Oh, and if I ever find out that you got her pregnant on purpose to get at her money," with her free hand, she punched him swiftly in the solar plexus, causing him to wheeze and double-over in pain, "I'll fucking kill you. Do I make myself clear?"

His arms wrapped around his stomach reflexively from the pain and he nodded weakly, gasping, "Cr... cr-crystal."

"Excellent. I'm glad we could come to an understanding." She patted his cheek and stepped around him, walking down the hallway and adjusting her duffle bag to hang comfortably across her back like nothing had happened. About fifteen feet away, she called over her shoulder at him as she walked, "Oh, and _Dick_? I think we can both agree that _Ms. Sato_ doesn't need to know about this little discussion."

She turned the corner without waiting for a response. The image of the asshole who stole her soulmate standing outside of her home disappeared from view behind plaster, concrete, and wood. Descending the stairs two at a time, she blinked away tears as her entire body screamed at her to turn around. Her mind argued back that she needed to keep moving forward and be optimistic - she was finally going to be a professional soccer player.

It was weak consolation.

Korra broke out onto the street and stood at the edge of the sidewalk, inhaling deep gulps of San Francisco air. Warmth touched her arms and face, the sun drying the few tears that had escaped. _'Keep moving forward.'_

She hailed a taxi and climbed in, giving the cabbie an address and settled back into the seat. Digging around her bag for a moment, she procured a set of Ray-Ban sunglasses and slipped them on as more tears began to leak from her eyes. _'Just keep moving ahead, Korra.'_


	6. Come the Day We Understand.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra cuts her ties to San Francisco but feels very conflicted about it.
> 
> Come the day we understand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the song that Korra listens to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7_KzwT2f7k  
> \- I highly recommend you listen to it while the scene unfolds.  
> \- Also, if you like the song, then you may like Shiny Toy Guns, too (same singer).

**_March 27, 2013_ **

 

Korra laid back on the pillows and crossed her arms over her face, blocking out the light streaming through the small window above the bed. She'd been awake for hours but it was barely past 7 am.

She had just finished showering and re-packing her duffle bag for the _fourth_ time; all of her clothing, toiletries, and a few of her personal belongings were tucked neatly into her navy blue duffle bag. The few possessions she was leaving behind were packed away in a box sitting at the foot of the bed. To say she was restless was an understatement.

Reaching over to the small bedside table, she lifted a well-worn picture off the surface and traced her thumb over the image. It was a photo of her and Asami being goofy right after their graduation ceremony; hats askew, gowns unzipped, diplomas nowhere to be seen, and arms wrapped tightly around each other as they laughed.

Korra exhaled heavily out her nose and squeezed her eyes shut.

It was really happening. She was going to Japan.

She was leaving Asami.

 

Everything had happened so fast after Korra left the apartment two days ago. She had headed straight to her agent's office and signed the contract. A few hours later, one of the staff from the team had e-mailed and asked how soon she could be there; she'd typed back that she could be there in two days if they had somewhere for her to stay. They did.

So, there she laid, about to fly halfway around the world to be a professional soccer player and all she could feel was sadness. _'Stop it. You're moving forward.'_

 

Soft tapping at the door had her sitting up in the bed, "Come in."

The door cracked open and Opal peeked around the corner, "Morning, Korra. Bolin and I are ready to take you to the airport whenever you're ready."

"Thanks, Ops. I'll be out shortly."

Korra slipped off the bed as Opal closed the door once more. Out of habit, she checked her phone for messages; she had many - texts _and_ voicemails. She refused to check them.

Asami had been trying to get ahold of her since the evening of _that day_ , but Korra couldn't bring herself to see or hear what her friend had to say. It would break her and she didn't need that right now. _'Keep moving forward.'_

Sighing, Korra turned her phone off and slipped it into her pocket. She slung her duffle bag over her shoulder and walked to the kitchen where Opal and Bolin were waiting for her.

"Morning, Korra!" Bolin gathered her into a tight hug.

"I'm so excited for you." Opal joined in on the hug and rubbed her back, "We're going to miss you so, so much."

Korra smiled weakly and hugged the two of them, murmuring, "I'm going to miss you guys, too. So much. I can't thank you enough for letting me crash here for the past few days."

"Of course!" and "Anytime!" were spoken simultaneously by Bolin and Opal, causing everyone to chuckle. Then - surprising the hell out of her and making her blush furiously - both of them kissed her cheeks.

"Okay guys, enough love for now. Save some for the airport."

Bolin grabbed her bag from her and draped his arm over her shoulders, guiding her to the garage, "Okay, let's get going, then! Have you got everything? Passport? ID? Money?"

"Yes, Bo. I've got everything I need - I've double, triple, and quadruple checked."

"Good, good."

They all climbed into the car and Bolin pulled out of the driveway, integrating them into the traffic flow of San Francisco. A comfortable and slightly sleepy silence settled over them as they made the twenty or so minute drive to San Francisco International. 

 

Korra realized she must have zoned out or nodded off because, suddenly, Bolin was pulling into the short-term parking lot at the airport; twenty minutes had felt like two. _'It must be time's way of saying it's time for me to go.'_

There wasn't much time for her to wallow in it, though, because Bolin had already hopped out of the car and grabbed Korra's bag before she could even unbuckle her seatbelt and protest.

Sighing (she seemed to be doing that a lot these days), Korra got out of the car and joined Opal at the trunk. Her friend wove her arm through Korra's and dragged her towards the terminal as Bolin led the way, all of them sticking to small talk as they walked. They made it through check-in without incident or undue delay and it wasn't until they were standing outside of the security checkpoint that the mood shifted.

Grief. Fear. Excitement. All of it made the air thick around the small group as the time for goodbyes made itself known.

Korra turned to her friends, throat closing with emotion, "I... I guess this is it for awhile."

Bolin sniffled and wiped his nose before pulling her into another crushing hug. "You better stay in touch, Korra. I mean it. And good luck over there - not that I think you're going to need it. I know you're going to absolutely kill it."

"Thank you, Bo." She returned the embrace and buried her head in his shoulder, holding him for a few moments before breaking away and pulling Opal into a hug.

She clutched at her friend as Opal whispered in her ear, "Your life is about to change drastically but I think it'll be for the better. Things you might not expect may come your way - just promise me that you'll keep an open mind."

Confused, Korra pulled back and looked her friend in the eye, trying to figure out her cryptic message. Opal just smiled at her and patted her cheek before shooing her towards the security line, "Good things are coming, hun. Now, go on. You don't want to miss your flight."

She nodded, bemused, and shouldered her bag, waving as she joined the queue.

"Byeee, Korra!"

"Good luck, sweetie!"

 

Yeah, she was going to miss those two.

 

+

 

Korra stuffed her bag into the overhead bin and flopped into her seat, settling in for the twelve hour flight.

She was one of the first on the plane, so she regarded the other passengers casually as they filed onto the aircraft, curious as to who her seat neighbor would be. It was always a crapshoot on these long hauls - life seemed to think it fitting that she be consistently stuck next to someone who made her flight horribly uncomfortable.

(Through the years, she had found there were several types that made the top of her list: the "basketball players" who lounged over onto her side of the small space, the young, pimple-faced teenage boys who hit on her shamelessly the whole time, oh, and the (unforgettable) exhausted, brand-new mothers with screaming children. _'Oh god. Please don't be a mom with a kid. Please don't be a mom with a kid.')_

She bounced her knee up and down nervously as people passed by the empty seat, silently praying for a decent neighbor. Finally, a middle-aged man in a suit slid his bag into the bin over her head and sat in the seat beside her.

She let out a small breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. _'Okay, this I can do.'_

Stuffing her earbuds in and donning her sunglasses, she leaned back and closed her eyes, tapping her foot to the new song she had stumbled upon the day before:

 

_♪ Come the day we understand_

_Will we shout out at once?_

_Do we always run away on our own time? ♪_

 

The man next to her shifted and got up, but Korra ignored it and kept her eyes closed; he more than likely forgot to get something out of his bag.

 

_♪ You thought I would leave you down_

_When the weight was too much_

_I will lift you from the ground ♪_

 

She felt the man sit down next to her again. A pleasant smell accompanied his reoccupation of the seat and she smiled faintly as the spice of eucalyptus and tang of citrus tickled her nose. It was a soothing scent and she was tempted to pause her song and ask the man what body wash or cologne he was wearing. _'Maybe later.'_

 

_♪ Don't you feel we're both in the storm? (take, take another life)_

_I keep fighting the wind so you know why_

_Even those that doubt us believe (take, take another life)_

_We must be the only ones breathing_

_Still you push away ♪_

 

"Hey! What gives?!" Korra sat forward and opened her eyes, irritated at the man next to her - he'd pulled her earbud out rather harshly. _'Who the hell does he think he is!?'_

 

But it wasn't the man in the suit sitting next to her. Not anymore.

 

 

 

 

It was Asami.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLOT TWIST.


	7. We're Looking For Something Dumb to Do.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asami?
> 
>  
> 
> We're looking for something dumb to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the delay on this one! Between getting sick with a stomach bug and working a lot the past two days, I ran out of energy and time to finish by the time I promised. But! I've added much more to it to make it a slightly longer chapter. Think of it as my (belated) Valentine's Day gift to you all? :-)
> 
> Also, as a little side-note, I was a derp and had the wrong "date/day of the week" combo in chapter two; March 24, 2013 was a Sunday. It's been fixed now for continuity's sake and I won't be making that mistake again (famous last words).
> 
> Enjoy!

**_March 27, 2013_ **

 

No. It couldn't be.

This woman couldn't be _her_ Asami.

Nope. No way, no how.

 

 "A little birdy told me that I might find you on this flight."

Okay... the woman definitely _sounded_ like her Asami.

But _her_ Asami was supposed to be at work - sitting in a sleek office at Future Industries and commanding the masses as she steered the multi-billion dollar corporation to new heights and unrivaled success - not on a plane to Japan. Not on the Wednesday morning  _right_ before the Quarterly Review.

No. This woman couldn't possibly be _her_ Asami, even if she looked and sounded like her.

That didn't stop Korra from gaping at her like a lovesick idiot, though.

"Couldn't-possibly-be-Asami" leaned forward, smiling slightly, and tapped Korra's chin to close her mouth, then casually pushed her sunglasses up to the top of her head and tenderly albeit warily stroked her cheek for one second, then two, before returning her hand to a more proper resting spot: the armrest.

So... she definitely _felt_ like her Asami, too, and now Korra's poor heart and mind were floundering.

Her seat neighbor shifted slightly and Korra's nostrils flared - trying to capture as much of the fragrant air as possible - as another waft of eucalyptus and citrus assailed her senses; this time with a little undercurrent of mango and mint toothpaste. Shit. She even _smelled_ like her Asami.

Maybe it really _was_ her Asami...? That... or the best/worst/most realistic dream Korra's ever had.

She continued to stare wide-eyed at the woman in front of her, blinking slowly as her heart and mind argued back and forth about the realness of "couldn't-possibly-be-Asami" and whether or not she was dreaming.

"I've always known you were obstinate, Korra, but was avoiding me like this really necessary? I've been going out of my _mind_ trying to find you before you left. I went to the stadium, your agent's office, the gym, Golden Gate Park, the Presidio, the bridge, Pier 39... I went to all of your favorite restaurants and hang out spots and couldn't find you anywhere. And whenever I talked to Bolin and Opal or came by the house, you weren't there and they didn't know where you had gone. They said that you came home after they were in bed and left before they got up." Asami gripped Korra's knee gently, "We were all _so_ worried about you. We... thought that you were going off and falling back into your... "old habits". You were gone for long periods of time inexplicably, ignoring me, and saying next to nothing to our friends... Do you understand how close I was to calling the police and tracking the GPS in your phone? The _only_ thing that kept me from doing it was Opal finding your boarding pass last night and texting me the details."

Yes, this was most definitely _her_ Asami. Her over-the-top, overprotective, and overly caring Asami. Here. On a flight to Tokyo. Scolding her. And Korra was simultaneously overjoyed and furious.

"I was at the beach most of the time, if you must know. Completely sober. I wasn't 'falling back into my old habits'. But the better question is: what are you doing here, Asami?" Korra meant for her voice to be calm and level, but it came out harsh and shaky. Her anger at Asami and the other night had won out and the whole situation was rapidly overwhelming her.

"I just wanted to see you, talk to you, before you attempted to disappear from my life for two years." Those disarming jade eyes that had been haunting Korra's dreams for the past two nights were now peering at her so earnestly that all the anger that was flaring up inside her dimmed to a small, manageable spark. 

Korra pulled out her other earbud and crossed her arms over her stomach, childishly defiant, and looked out the window of the plane, "What's there to talk about? I accepted the contract and you're marrying Duke. I don't understand what else there possibly is left to discuss."

The warmth from Asami's hand on her shoulder had Korra looking back over at the woman beside her. "Korra, I'm not marrying Duke. I panicked when I told him I was pregnant and said yes when he asked me to marry him. At the time, I was hysterical and terrified and I thought that it was the best thing that I could do for myself and the baby, but I was wrong. I knew it the moment I woke up the next morning, so I tried to fix my mistake as soon as possible."

 _'She's not going to marry Duke??'_ Korra's heart beat wildly in her chest. She was still mildly angry and deeply wounded about how things ended between them three days prior, but the more her best friend spoke, the less anger and pain she felt. "So... what happened?"

Asami frowned and removed her hand from Korra's shoulder, looking away, "I woke up to an empty bed and him knocking on the door. He said he 'had to talk to me about wedding arrangements', which _really_ pissed me the hell off. It hadn't even been twenty-four hours since everything had happened and he already wanted to talk about wedding things?" Asami shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose, "Not to mention, I truly didn't want to marry him... so, I ended it, right there in the entry hall of our apartment. I told him that I didn't love him - could never love him - and that I wanted to raise the child on my own. He didn't take it well and we argued. A lot. I ended up getting so angry that, by the end, I was screaming at him to get out of my life because my heart belonged to someone else. It... wasn't my most dignified moment, that's for sure, but it seemed to get the point across. He eventually stormed off, calling me every nasty name in the book and swearing to sue me for who knows what."

"Well, I think - and I'm trying to say this as objectively as possible - that you did the right thing. I ran into him as I was leaving and... we had a little discussion. I..." Korra cleared her throat and fidgeted nervously, "I had a hunch that he was just trying to get after your money, so I'm glad you put an end to it before anything became too serious." She rubbed the back of her neck, "It still doesn't explain why you're here, on a flight to Tokyo, sitting next to me, though."

"I'm getting there, I promise." Asami took a deep breath and looked at her miserably, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes, "When I woke up that morning and saw that you weren't there, I honestly thought you had just gone for your usual morning run and that's it. I didn't even see your note on my nightstand until after I broke it off with Duke. I didn't believe it, at first. I refused to believe it. I scoured the entire apartment for your stuff and found nothing. It wasn't until that evening, when I was tossing the apartment for the second time, that I found your letter."

Korra quirked an eyebrow, "I thought you said you found my letter after you broke it off with Duke?"

"No. I said I found your note. Six sentences isn't a letter, Kor." Asami wiped her eyes hastily and reached into her pocket, withdrawing a mutilated piece of paper that had been taped back together carefully and folded into eighths, "I found your _real_ letter that evening, in the trash can." Delicately pulling the corners apart, Asami opened up the piece of paper, revealing that it was indeed the letter that Korra had cried over and torn apart.

"Oh." Korra gently took the piece of paper from Asami. She contemplated it for several quiet seconds before sighing, "I'm still not sure why you're here, Asami."

"Because I also found something you had forgotten and I thought I should give it to you." Rummaging in her pocket again, Asami withdrew a small, intricately carved wooden box that nestled comfortably in the palm of her hand and held it out to Korra.

Furrowing her brow, Korra looked from Asami to the box and back, "I didn't forget this; it isn't even mine."

"Yes, it is." Asami took Korra's hand in her own and placed the box in it, wrapping her fingers around it firmly.

Korra shook her head and attempted to hand the box back, "But it isn't. I've never seen this before in-"

Asami cut over her, "Open it, Korra."

"What?"

Her best friend gave her a small smile and nudged her knee with her own, "Open it."

She shot Asami a furtive glance before cautiously lifting the lid to the box.

Bolting up ramrod straight in her seat, Korra stared at the contents of the box. Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened. _'This isn't happening. I'm dreaming. There's no other explanation.'_ She thought her heart was going to explode right out of her chest.

Sitting inside, nestled amongst royal blue, silk cushions, was the most beautiful ring Korra had ever seen. It was a wide, flat band of platinum and yellow gold woven together in a complex lattice, complete with small gemstones set-in flush throughout the ring.

Korra shifted her wide-eyed gaze to Asami and whispered, "...'Sami...?"

Asami turned in her seat and leaned forward, placing her hand against Korra's cheek, whispering back, "You were right: we _are_ the real deal. You _are_ the one for me and I was so, _so_ stupid to let guilt and a misplaced sense of responsibility blind me to that. We may be a bit unorthodox... but I wouldn't have it any other way." Korra's lip quivered as Asami began to stroke her cheek, "I love you, Ms. Moana, with all of my heart. I have for years. And I know I've made some very, very big mistakes in my life - and I'm sure I'll make more - but loving you has never, ever been one of them. Letting you go, though, was. I hurt you and I am so unbelievably sorry for that, but I hope you can forgive me because I vow to spend the rest of my life making it up to you, if you'll let me. You are my rock. My best friend. My better half. My soulmate." Asami pulled Korra forward as she leaned in and rested her forehead against Korra's, "You asked me why I was here, on a plane to Tokyo, sitting next to you. I said it's because I wanted to talk to you before you left, which was true, but it was only half of the reason. The other half - the more important half - is because I had a question to ask you."

Korra's breath was coming and going in short bursts as her heart thundered in her ears.

"Korra, will you marry me?"

Korra gazed into the heartwarming and sincere jade eyes only centimeters from her own and chewed on her bottom lip as her heart pounded so hard it hurt and her mind raced so fast she felt dizzy. _'She wants me. Asami fuckin' Sato wants to marry me!'_

Asami blinked once and suddenly, the entire world slowed to a crawl and Korra found herself grounded in those amazing green eyes. She smiled slightly, making the corners of her eyes crinkle as she spoke, "I have a few conditions first, Ms. Sato. One, I'll forgive you if you'll forgive me - neither of us are blameless when it comes to hurting the other. Two, you have to tell me when you got this ring and what kind of gemstones are in it because I've never seen a ring like this before and I know you're Asami Sato, but damn woman - this is obviously something that wasn't just sitting in a jeweler's case. Three, we wait to get married until after my contract is up - I want to do this marriage thing right. And four... I want to be called mommy. Everything else we can work out later."

Asami burst out laughing and rubbed her nose against Korra's, "One, I forgive you. Two, I pulled some strings and put in the order after I found your letter. I had the ring custom-made to... symbolize us, in a way: gold for softness and beauty, platinum for purity and strength, polished jade for my eyes, blue tanzanite for yours, and white diamond for tradition and new beginnings, all woven together. It's almost as unique and exquisite as you. Almost. Three, I will wait for however long you want, so long as I can call you mine. And four, I wanted to be called mama, anyway."

Korra chuckled, her heart lodged somewhere in her throat, "Well then, Ms. Sato, my answer is... hell _fuckin'_ yes I will marry you."

She could hear Asami's breath hitch as her best friend - no, _fiancée_ \- leaned back and took the ring from the box, reverentially slipping it onto Korra's left ring finger. Asami wove their fingers together and both of them admired the ring for several quiet seconds before her jade eyes turned to Korra's azure ones. They stared at each other, smiles slowly spreading to epic proportions as all the heartbreak, all the stress, and all the fear that they had each experienced these last few days - years, even - evaporated.

"I love you, 'Sami."

Asami surged forward and captured Korra's lips with her own in a deep, passionate, and much needed kiss. Korra carded her hands through raven hair and twisted the silky locks in her fingers while Asami cupped either side of her neck, both of them trying to fight their smiles as their mouths melded together effortlessly, over and over, like they had been doing this for years.

Korra was thankful when Asami finally pulled back slightly; she was so light-headed from the kissing she was afraid she might pass out. They both panted slightly as Asami murmured against Korra's lips, "I love you, too, Kor." Korra smiled and pulled Asami back in for a soft kiss.

Raucous cheering, clapping, whopping, and some wolf-whistling erupted from all around them and they broke apart quickly, completely startled; they had forgotten exactly where they were. All the seated and still-boarding passengers in the vicinity of them had been witness to the proposal and were now congratulating them rambunctiously while they sat their grinning sheepishly.

As the cheering quieted down and the boarding process completed, Korra and Asami settled into their seats and buckled themselves in, smilingly uncontrollably as each refused to relinquish their grip on the other's hand. In no time at all, they were airborne and heading east towards a new adventure.

 

+

 

About fifteen minutes after take-off, Korra gently extricated her hand from Asami's and flipped up the armrest separating them. She slipped her arm behind the beauty's neck and pulled her against her, Asami relaxing against her side easily. She nuzzled her nose into Asami's hair and inhaled deeply, savoring the tang of mint and citrus. The scent was intoxicating and she would get to spend the rest of her life enjoying.

And that's when it really hit her. _'Holy shit. I'm engaged. To Asami. Holy. SHIT.'_

Giddiness bubbled up from Korra's gut and warmed her chest as it spread up and out in the form of a giggle.

Asami rocked her shoulder into Korra's side and smiled, "What's so funny?"

"This. Us. It's only now _really_  sinking in that I'm engaged to you." Korra tightened her grip around Asami and stage-whispered, "I finally get to kiss you whenever and wherever I want." To punctuate the point, she pressed her lips to Asami's temple.

Asami laughed and kissed Korra's neck before resting her forehead in the crook, "You're such a dork."

"Yes, but I'm your dork. I even have the ring to prove it." Korra wiggled the fingers of her left hand in front of Asami's face as if her fiancée had somehow forgotten that fact in the past fifteen minutes.

Asami chuckled lightly, "Yes, you do, don't you?"

"Mm." Korra smiled and played with the ends of Asami's hair as they lapsed into silence, the hustle and bustle of the aircraft and the soft ding of the seatbelt sign mere background noise in their little bubble of heaven.

Korra closed her eyes and tilted her back against the seat, enjoying the feel of the woman next to her. The early start was finally taking its toll on her and she was starting to doze when Asami ran her hand down Korra's leg and kissed her neck again. She stirred slightly and hummed as Asami ran her hand up and down her thigh slowly. Korra turned her head and mumbled sleepily into Asami's hair, "What're you thinking about?"

"What you said a minute ago."

"I said a couple things a minute ago... you're going to have to be a bit more specific."

Asami pressed her lips to Korra's briefly and whispered, "I was wondering what you were trying to say when you said you get to kiss me whenever and... _wherever_ you wanted."

Korra turned seven shades of red as the implications of what she, and subsequently Asami, had said. The tips of her ears burned as she stammered, "O-oh. Uh... uhm... yeah, I... uh-"

Asami snickered, "Korra, relax; I'm teasing."

Korra nodded dumbly in response, completely flabbergasted by the little exchange. 

Truthfully, that was furthest thing from her mind until Asami said it like that, and now... well, now it was all she could think about. It was almost... daunting, really. What would Asami expect of her? And when? Would she be good enough? Would she choke and freeze up? Be clumsy and awkward? Too aggressive? Too timid? What if she tried to make a move too soon? Technically, they hadn't even gone on a date, yet, but... she supposed that was more or less made moot by their engagement, so, really all bets were logically off when it came to... _that._ Right?

"Earth to Korra."

Korra blinked a few times and looked at Asami, "I'm sorry, what?"

Laughing, Asami nudged her and sat up straight in her seat, "I asked if you wanted to sleep. You look exhausted and have a super faraway look in your eyes."

"Oh. Oh, yeah. Ha. Yeah. I am pretty worn out. I haven't been sleeping well the past few nights and it's finally getting to me."

Asami squeezed her knee and kissed her cheek, "Okay. Be right back."

Korra smiled faintly as she watched her fiancée (yeah, that wasn't going to get old anytime soon) walk to the First Class cabin and speak with a flight attendant briefly. The flight attendant nodded and walked away, returning shortly with two pillows, two blankets, and a polite bow. Asami took the pillows and blankets and returned the bow before sauntering back over to Korra.

"Tah-dah." Asami winked at her.

Laughing, Korra reached out and took the pillows and blankets as Asami settled back into the chair. Korra positioned the items into a comfortable arrangement as Asami drew her under her arm so that she could nestle in against the older woman.

"Hey 'Sami, what are you going to do when we get to there? And how long were you planning on staying?"

Asami removed Korra's sunglasses from her head and tucked them into the seat-back pocket before kissing her hair, "First, I'm going to help you settle in. Then, I'm going to spend as much time with you as humanly possible. As to how long I'm staying.... well, I can't take too much time off from work, but I'd like to spend at least a week there, if that's okay with you?"

"Sounds perfect." Korra sighed and closed her eyes, a tiny grin playing at her lips as she dozed off; the weight of Asami's arm across her shoulders and the warmth of Asami's body against her a reassuring pressure as she snuggled in for the long flight with her best friend.

Her love.

Her fiancée.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know some have expressed their desire to read the alternate (original) ending to this story as a stand-alone/series kind of thing (and I'm more than likely going to do it (but probably not immediately since I had an idea for a new story)), but I was also wondering if there was any interest in me writing a short, one-shot of the explicit kind for this story (it's of the Korrasami variety, so no need to worry about Dick - I mean Duke - showing up)? Let me know in the comments!


	8. Somewhere Beyond the Sea.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roughly two years have passed since Korra's fateful flight with Asami and they're still trying to navigate their relationship.
> 
>  
> 
> Somewhere beyond the sea.

**_January 18, 2015_ **

 

Korra stretched and yawned, the bubbly ring of an incoming Skype call rousing her from her slumber. Rolling over on her side, she pushed open the half-closed laptop that sat on the bed beside her and clumsily clicked the "Answer with Video" button. A black window popped up on screen and the sounds of someone adjusting stuff on the other side of the connection came through her speakers. Suddenly, the image of Asami in a slouchy, blue cable-knit sweater and a _Nadeshiko Japan_ beanie filled her screen. _'Man, she's beautiful.'_

"Mmm... Hey you." Korra mumbled and scrubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands, trying to wipe away the last remnants of sleep.

Asami smiled at her, "Hey yourself. Did I wake you up?"

Korra laid back on the bed and stretched again before sitting up against the headboard and pulling the laptop into her lap, "Maybe just a little bit."

"I'm sorry."

Asami didn't look all that sorry, though, and Korra rolled her eyes, "Mhmm, sure. You do realize it's like 6:30 in the morning here in Tokyo, yeah? On a Sunday? You know how I feel about mornings, especially on the weekend."

"I believe the exact wording is," Asami cleared her throat and scrunched up her face, imitating Korra's grumpy morning face, "'The mornings are... evvvilll.'"

Korra let out a bark of laughter, "Yes and you would do well to remember that. Anyway, how're you doing this fine day?"

"I'm doing pretty well. At least, as well as you can expect someone to be doing when their other half is halfway around the world." Asami sighed and touched the screen as if it were that easy to tangibly touch her, "I miss you, Korra... so much."

Korra smiled sadly and touched her screen in a similar gesture, "I miss you, too, 'Sami. How's Yazzie doing?"

Groaning, Asami rolled her eyes, "Ugh, not you, too. And she's doing really well but she misses her mommy. I put her down for a nap a few minutes ago but she wouldn't go to sleep until I gave her that plush soccer ball you got her for Christmas."

Korra's heart momentarily panged with guilt and sadness but was quickly washed away with warmth and love as she pictured Asami's - _their_ \- beautiful daughter snuggled up with the plushie, "I miss her, too. Please give her a kiss for me when she wakes up? And what did you mean by 'not you, too'?"

"Of course. I'll even give her two." Asami smiled then scrunched up her face in annoyance, "A few days ago, I picked Yasuko up from Bo's and Opal's and when we got home, she started parading around the house with a cape on screaming, "YAZZIE!". They swear they had nothing to do with it, but I suspect they call her that when they're babysitting and she picked up on it."

Korra laughed, "Ah, come on, babe. It's not her fault she can't say her own name, yet. Plus, Yazzie is a cute nickname and you know it."

"I know it's not her fault, but..." Korra smiled as Asami relented, "Fine. I guess it's _kinda_ cute..."

"But not as cute as you."

"Flatterer."

"Only for you, Ms. Sato."

Asami chuckled lightly and pinched the bridge of her nose, pride poorly concealed in her voice, "It's surprising and terrifying how smart she is for a 15 month old. She's like a human sponge; she calls Bolin "Boli" and Opal "Opa" and when she plays with her toys, she doesn't just beat them against the ground or something, she actually plays with them. This morning, I found her building a house with those overlarge Lego blocks - it had holes for windows and everything. I swear, developmentally, she's more like a two or two-and-a-half year old."

Korra could feel her heart melting even more as Asami talked about their daughter and chuckled, "Well, you _are_ her mother, so it shouldn't be surprising that she's some kind of genius prodigy like you."

"Again with the flattery?"

"Always with the flattery."

Her fiancée smiled at her weakly while she played with the ends of her raven hair. There was a moment of silence that settled uncomfortably between them before Asami spoke, "I know and completely understand why you decided to sign for another year with Japan, but Korra...  I really, really miss having you here. You visiting a few weeks at a time for things like Yasuko's birthday and Christmas isn't enough and... yeah."

Korra sighed and closed her eyes, "I know baby. Believe me, I know. I swear to you that I won't sign with another foreign country again after this contract is up; I just really, really want to play in the World Cup at least once in my life with a team that has a good chance of winning it."

Asami bobbed her head a few times before ducking it to avoid Korra's pixelated gaze, not saying a word. Asami wasn't necessarily the most talkative person in the world, but it was very unlike her to be so coy, reluctant, and hesitant about what she was thinking and it made Korra's heart pick up slightly, "Asami... there's something else you're not saying. What is it?"

"I get it, Korra. I honestly do and I'm okay with it. I just..." Asami looked back up at the screen and blushed, mumbling," I just really want to be married to you already and we haven't really talked about it since we got engaged. That's all."

"Asami..." Korra frowned slightly, "You know I want to get married already, too, but we agreed to wait until I could be in the States full-time. I want to do this right; I want us to have the perfect wedding and the perfect life because we're only doing this once, right?"

"Right."

"Then can we please discuss it later? Maybe closer to when I'm out of my contract?"

Asami breathed in deeply once and exhaled slowly, "Okay. But we _are_ discussing it closer to when your contract is up. Patience is not my forte when it comes to you."

"Deal." Korra grinned smugly, "I do seem to recall a time very recently where you weren't entirely patient. If I'm not mistaken, it had something to do with you wanting my mouth between your-"

"Korra!" Asami angrily interjected, cheeks tinged pink.

Eyes wide and feigning innocence, Korra pouted at Asami, "Yes, my love? Did I say something wrong?"

Asami snorted, "You're incorrigible, you know that?"

"Yes, but you love me anyway."

"I do."

"Good because I love you, too, 'Sami."

Asami tapped her chin, pretending to mull something over, "Do you love me enough to share your bed should I decide to ditch work and jump on a plane to Japan?"

Korra sat up straight in bed, almost toppling the laptop off of her lap, "Of course! Does that mean you're finally coming to visit?"

"I really want to and, so long as nothing big happens in the next few weeks, I should be able to manage it. The company's doing really well right now, we finally settled everything in court with Duke, and Yasuko should be old enough to travel comfortably now." Asami bit her bottom lip, smiling slightly, "Plus, with Valentine's Day coming up, I was thinking I could possibly steal you away for the day. Does that sound good?"

Korra smiled ear-to-ear, showing off her pearly whites and pumping her fist in the air, "Yes! That sounds perfect! I would _love_ for my two favorite girls to be here with me."

"All right. I'll make the arrangements, then."

Korra whooped in delight and Asami's cheeks dimpled at her joy, but her fiancée turned her head quickly to look at something off the screen.

"Hey babe, I've gotta go. I think Yasuko is up and hungry - I can hear her crying."

Korra pouted but nodded, "Okay. Don't forget to kiss her for me and tell her I love her, please."

"I will. And Korra?"

"Yes baby?"

Asami reached out and touched the screen once more, "I love you."

Korra smiled and pressed her fingers to her lips before pressing them to the screen, "And _I_ love _you_."

The call quickly disconnected from Asami's end and Korra clicked her laptop shut. Settling back into bed, she hugged one of her pillows close to her chest as the the void of Asami's absence threatened to consume her. It was like this every time Korra saw or spoke with her fiancée and it was a feeling she wished fervently not to feel. _'But she and Yasuko are coming here soon, so smile.'_

The last thought she had before falling back to sleep was of Asami's pale, strong arms wrapping around her waist and pulling her close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Nadeshiko Japan" is the women's national football team of Japan.
> 
> Also, I apologize for this chapter if it seems weak and lacking. It's mainly being used as a filler and slight set-up for the next chapter and I had some difficulty writing it (doesn't help that it's past midnight). Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it regardless!


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